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Five things not to miss at UFC London

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It’s fight week baby and for the first time in three years the UFC is back in London, England for a hugely exciting fight card.

Headlined by heavyweight contender Tom Aspinall as he looks to crack the top five against Alexander Volkov, the UFC have put some of Britain and Europe’s best talent together on the card for the fans.

But while there are some obvious headlines coming out of the card, here are some thing to look out for that you definitely don’t want to miss.

PADDY PIMBLETT AND ILIA TOPURIA BEEF

There’s a big rivalry brewing between these two hot prospects in the UFC, and the fact they’ve been in different weight classes may not even matter.

Ilia Topuria is an undefeated featherweight contender, currently sitting with a record of 11-0 and scheduled to fight against Jai Herbert at this event. But that fight will now take place at 155lbs, after a botched weight cut most recently.

Pimblett is one of the biggest names to come out of the UK & Ireland since Conor McGregor, with a record of 17-3 after winning his UFC debut in the lightweight division. He will fight Kazula Vargas at UFC London.

But these two have gone back and forth on social media in recent months and even came to blows in the hotel during check-in. If both are able to secure wins, don’t be surprised to see them meet in the octagon against each other before too long.

MUHAMMAD MOKAEV – A STAR WILL BE BORN

There a few undefeated prospects on this card, and one of the most exciting is Muhammad Mokaev in the flyweight division.

After going 23-0 in the amateur scene, Mokaev is now 6-0 (1 no contest) as a professional and will make his UFC debut against Cody Durden during the prelims section of the card.

Compared to Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, the 21-year-old has a very bright future and you don’t want to miss out on the birth of a superstar at UFC London this weekend.

JACK SHORE V TIMUR VALIEV! – FIGHT OF THE NIGHT

Without doubt the fight of the night, and somehow it’s only on the prelims section of the card in the O2 Arena.

Shore is 15-0 and one of the best English talents in mixed martial arts, but he faces the toughest test of his career to date when he takes on the incredibly talented Valiev in their bout at 135-pounds.

Both men are incredibly well-rounded and will look to make an impression, with the bantamweight division one of the most stacked in the entire company. A win would be huge for both, and this should be fireworks. So don’t miss it!

ARNOLD ALLEN – NEXT FEATHERWEIGHT CONTENDER

Featherweight is screaming for a new contender at the top of the division, and Arnold Allen has the chance to make that place his own.

Currently ranked at number 7, ‘Almighty’ will take on Dan Hooker who returns from an exciting run at lightweight back into the division he originally entered the UFC in.

A high-profile win for Allen against a household name like Hooker would see the attention Allen gets rise exponentially, but also make his claims for a title shot far more legitimate.

With Alexander Volkanovski defending his title against Korean Zombie next month at UFC 273 and Max Holloway next in line, a win for Allen sets him up for a number one contender fight later this year to get a crack at gold in 2023.

TOM ASPINALL TITLE CHALLENGE?

The heavyweight headliner, Aspinall will fight in front of a UFC crowd for the very first time despite being 4-0 in the organisation after making his debut in 2020.

Taking on a veteran like Volkov is never easy, but there will be added pressure with the fight being in his home nation and in his first main event.

A win however would see him enter the title picture. Francis Ngannou is unlikely to fight again until the end of the year at best, it opens up plenty of opportunities for those around him.

The likes of Stipe Miocic, Tai Tuivasa, Ciryl Gane and even Jon Jones are hanging around, while Derrick Lewis will be keen to get back to winning ways too. The opportunities are aplenty with a win, but he must get a win first and foremost.

grudge match or mismatch – covington vs masvidal
MMA, Opinions

UFC 272: Covington and Masvidal – Grudge match or mismatch?

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UFC 272 is upon us and we’re set for one of the most highly anticipated main events in recent memory between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal.

Once best friends and training partners, the two welterweights are now sworn enemies with a very personal rivalry with bragging rights up for grabs.

But while the fans are hyped for two men that hate each other about to go head-to-head in a big scrap, are we expecting too much from this bout in terms of competitiveness?

Of Kamaru Usman’s five title defences in the UFC, four of them have come against these two fighters.

He knocked them both out once each and took them to a unanimous decision win in the other fight to assert himself as the best in the world, while these two compete for the next best – if we’re not including Leon Edwards.

But when you look at both of their skillsets and performances over their careers, it’s hard to see this fight being competitive outside of the fact that it’s personal.

Covington is one of the best wrestlers in the UFC with the nickname ‘Cardio King’ given to him by Masvidal because of the way he weaponises his fantastic conditioning.

He was brought in to American Top Team way back when to help the team improve their wrestling skills and while he was there he developed the striking skills to mix in and make him a world championship calibre fighter.

Masvidal’s star began to shine brightest after he returned from a sabbatical and knocked out Darren Till in London. That was followed by a backstage brawl, where the term ‘three piece and a soda’ was coined.

He then earned a record-breaking five-second knockout over Ben Askren to further see his star shine, and then a dominant win over Nate Diaz at UFC 242 made his status as a needle mover official.

But his skillset hasn’t changed all that much over the years. He is a brawler with excellent boxing and a vicious body kick, with decent defensive wrestling and grappling skills in his pocket too.

But despite his reputation for being a knockout artist, he has 16 KO’s in 35 career wins which is hardly the most emphatic record around.

Covington has proven against the likes of Robbie Lawler and Usman in the past that he can take a shot. Usman broke his jaw in the third round of their first fight, yet he battled through until the final minute of the final round until it became too much.

But if he can withstand that, then it’s hard to imagine him losing this fight to Masvidal.

He’s the far better wrestler, he can take Masvidal’s best shots, he can push the pace and he’s got a youth advantage too.

There is always the chance that Masvidal lands clean and stiffens him with a big right hand or a body shot, but it does seem like a puncher’s chance at this point.

Most fans want Masvidal to win simply because it will be violent and Covington is a bit of a prat, but if they were honest with themselves this probably won’t go that way.

ufc london heavyweight main event announced
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UFC 271: Middleweight title picture not just on show in the main event

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When the UFC rolls into the Toyota Centre in Houston, Texas this weekend for UFC 271 all eyes will be on the 185-pound division.

Headlining the card will be the middleweight division undisputed title fight between champion Israel Adesanya and number one contender Robert Whittaker.

But two fights before that there is another huge middleweight fight scheduled which could have big implications on the title picture for the rest of 2022.

It will be number three ranked Jared Cannonier fighting number four ranked Derek Brunson on the main card, with both knowing that a victory could set them up for a title shot against the winner of the main event next time around.

For Cannonier, he has been here before. ‘Tha Killa Gorilla’ won three fights in a row against David Branch, Anderson Silva and Jack Hermansson via knockout to setup a fight with Robert Whittaker at UFC 254.

Israel Adesanya admitted that a win for Cannonier that night would’ve seen him next in line for the belt, but he was comfortably beaten by the number one contender.

He bounced back in his next fight though against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Vegas 34 to retain his top five ranking and earn another shot at glory.

Across the cage will be a resurgent Brunson, who has already fought Adesanya and got embarrassed by the now-champion via a first-round knockout.

Since then, Brunson has rattled off five wins in-a-row, a run only better matched by the champion himself in the weight class. He claimed decision wins against Elias Theodorou and Ian Heinisch, before a dominant main event win over prospect Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Vegas 5.

He then claimed another main event victory, dismantling Kevin Holland with his wrestling at UFC Vegas 22 before a big fight with Darren Till. Till had been in a similar position to Cannonier, told he’d potentially get a title shot with a win.

Brunson quickly ended those dreams though, wrestling the Brit for two-and-a-half rounds before submitting him with a rear-naked choke.

Now the dream is his own. A win sees him move to six-in-a-row and almost certainly sets up a title fight against the winner of the main event in a rematch from earlier in his career.

But Cannonier will surely not let this opportunity pass him by twice, having been through a rollercoaster of a career with weight divisions and successes.

A victory should do it for either man in reality, but a statement win would be the icing on the cake and would likely guarantee it.

Middleweights go to war at UFC 271, but it’s not only in the main event that you should be paying attention.

ufc 271: adesanya the g.o.a.t or whittaker the great?
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UFC 271: Israel Adesanya the G.O.A.T or Robert Whittaker the great?

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When you think about the best fighters to ever compete in the middleweight division in the UFC, there are three names that should jump to the top of everyone’s list.

One is the long-time UFC champion of yesteryear Anderson Silva, who to this day holds the record for the longest undefeated run in the organisation’s history at 16.

The other two are once again headlining a card with the belt on the line this weekend; Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker.

When these two men fought for the first time back in October 2019 at UFC 243, it was long-reigning champion against number one contender and interim champion.

On that occasion it was the challenger, Adesanya, who came out on top with a vicious second-round knockout in what was seen as a relatively flawless performance.

Since that fight ‘The Last Stylebender’ has gone 3-1 in the UFC with wins against Yoel Romero at UFC 248, Paulo Costa at UFC 253 and Marvin Vettori most recently at UFC 263.

That defeat, which is the only one of his professional MMA career, came when he moved up to light heavyweight to try and become a double champion against Jan Blachowicz.

Whittaker on the other hand has gone 3-0 since that fight, earning himself unanimous decision victories against Darren Till at UFC Fight Island 3, Jared Cannonier at UFC 254 and Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Vegas 24.

He has never dropped below number one in the rankings and is the rightful contender to the title.

Now not much has changed since their first fight, and thus many are expecting the same result. But now that they’ve been in there with each other and have evolved further, things are bound to be a bit different.

Whittaker has openly stated that he believes Blachowicz laid the blueprint on how to beat Adesanya when the fought at UFC 259, suggesting that he could look to wrestle more in the rematch.

Izzy on the other hand is adamant the outcome will in fact be the same, claiming that Whittaker’s most recent wins have been blown out of proportion.

Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker of New Zealand and UFC interim middleweight champion Israel Adesanya of New Zealand pose for the media during...

But it’s impossible to ignore just how evenly matched these two fighters are on paper. Both have got excellent striking techniques, knockout power, great movement and a brilliant fight IQ.

Anyone who tells you they’re completely writing either man off is a liar, because it’s just impossible to do so.

If Adesanya is to claim a second victory over Whittaker, then he undoubtedly jumps ahead of him in that list of memorable and great middleweights that was mentioned earlier.

There is even a case that he tops it, considering he holds a win over Silva too and has done everything in such a short period of time.

A win for Whittaker though pits them closer than ever before in the legacy rankings, which means a third and final deciding fight will be needed to separate them and decide who the best really is.

ufc 274 gets second title fight co-main event
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UFC Vegas 47: New contender or two wannabes at middleweight?

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The UFC returns from a two week break this weekend with a middleweight main event that many fans and casuals are sleeping on.

We’ll see two top-ten ranked 185-pounders go head to head at UFC Vegas 47 when Jack Hermansson returns to the octagon to take on the man steamrolling through the division currently in Sean Strickland.

But while these two aren’t exactly household names in the division, they are two incredibly skilled individuals who should bring the best and worst out of each other on the night.

For Hermansson, he’s looking to get back into title contention.

There have been several occasions where he seemed on the brink and then fell flat. His defeat to Jared Cannonier saw a four-fight win streak snapped and since then he’s alternated.

He beat Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Fight Island 2 with a heel hook in 88 seconds, before suffering a dominant decision loss to Marvin Vettori at UFC Vegas 16 despite the Italian coming in on short notice.

He bounced back in his most recent bout against Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Vegas 27 with a decision win, and now goes in against a hungry striker once again.

Jack Hermansson of Norway walks out prior to his middleweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on May 22, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Strickland is on a five-fight win streak currently, with four of those coming since a two-year injury layoff.

He has dismantled Jack Marshman at UFC Vegas 12, before KO’ing up and coming talent Brendan Allen in a short-notice catchweight fight at UFC Vegas 14 just two weeks later.

He followed that up with dominant decision wins against Krzysztof Jotko at UFC Vegas 25 and then Uriah Hall in his first main event.

He’s showed little weakness in his game, with a solid wrestling background to go with his sturdy boxing and great cardio. His unstableness has seen some fans turn against him, and rightly so in all honesty, but his abilities are undeniable.

So this fight has a veteran looking to finally break through his glass ceiling, and a fighter on a hot run of momentum looking to smash through that ceiling at the first attempt.

If Hermansson can win, then it will show he is still good enough to hang at the highest level. His submission skills are elite, his striking is decent but it’s his intelligence that often gets to people the most and he is able to pick opponents apart.

‘Tarzan’ on the other hand just looks to break his opponent. Whether that be physically, mentally or both, he will come forward talking to his opponents and blasting them with countless strikes.

A win for him is huge as it cements him as the new contender in the weight class, with back-to-back main events in the bank and a fight with a top five guy up next. A loss though, shows him up to be just another pretender.

ufc 274 gets second title fight added to card
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UFC 270: More than heavyweight gold on the line for Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane

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After months of anticipation and what if’s, the heavyweight title of the world will finally be on the line at UFC 270 this weekend from Anaheim, California.

Francis Ngannou finally reached the top of the mountain back at UFC 260 when he knocked out Stipe Miocic and became champion, but his quick turnaround never happened.

Since then, former teammate and friend Ciryl Gane has beaten both Alexander Volkov and Derrick Lewis at UFC 265 to become the interim heavyweight champion to set this one up.

Now you could be of the opinion that there is nothing bigger than a UFC heavyweight title fight in the sport of MMA if you’re part of the roster, but this fight has got so much more than just the belt at stake.

For the challenger, this is legacy. The French fighter is currently undefeated as a professional, with a 10-0 record in his career and a 7-0 run in the UFC.

It’s also a chance to show that his coach backed the right horse, with an in-gym rift between coach and Ngannou meaning the latter left and would no longer be sparring partners with ‘Bon Gamin’.

That split allowed Fernand Lopez to give his undivided heavyweight attention to 31-year-old Gane and help him become the absolute best he could be.

That split also allowed Ngannou to go off and become champion elsewhere, something he failed to do against the same champion in his first attempt several years prior.

The details of the rift are different depending on who you ask, but there is a rift and it’s very real.

For Ngannou, this fight is more than just about defending the title. It’s about proving he is a complete fighter these days and not just a one-punch wonder, while also getting one over on his former friends and colleagues.

Further than that though, it’s about proving his worth to the UFC as a whole.

According to ESPN, this fight serves as the final fight on an eight-fight deal that he signed with the company several years ago. Should he lose his title, he would immediately enter a period of restricted free agency and after 90-days would be able to sign elsewhere if he couldn’t agree terms with the UFC.

Should he win though, he has vowed not to fight under the terms of his previous deal ever again regardless of the fact a ‘Champion clause’ would become active and add some fights to his deal on the previous terms.

Ngannou wants to have the ability to box entered into his contract, as well as a significant pay increase as the cemented best in the world. A win almost forces the UFC’s hand to at least somewhat compromise from their current position.

There’s also the shadow of Jon Jones in the background and a mega-money fight with him for whoever is the winner of this fight.

So many branches from one tree, but the ultimate prize for the winner is the UFC title belt and the ability to call themselves the baddest man on the planet.

This has all the makings to be one of the most memorable heavyweight fights in the organisation’s history, whether it lasts 25 seconds or 25 minutes. The aftermath will likely be just as exciting too.

ufc 270: flyweight title fight has moreno & figueiredo in final form
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UFC 270: Flyweight title trilogy fight will see final form of both fighters

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The first pay-per-view of 2022 will feature two title fights headlining the event, with the smallest and biggest men in the company defending their belts.

In the flyweight division, we’ll the trilogy bout between now-champion Brandon Moreno as he defends his title for the first time when he takes on Deiveson Figueiredo for the third time in a row.

The previous two fights have been very different bouts, but this one will settle once and for all who the best 125-pound fighter in the world is.

The first fight between the two took place on less than one month’s notice back in December 2020 at UFC 256.

After both picked up quick wins at UFC 255 with Moreno stopping Brandon Royval and Figueiredo defending his title successfully against Alex Perez, the UFC moved quickly to pair them up for the following event after having trouble with that main event.

Both men stepped up to the plate and delivered a brilliant fight that went down as one of the best of the year. Ultimately it ended in a draw, which saw Figueiredo retain the belt and a rematch made.

But that first fight, while close, would have been a victory for Figueiredo had he not been deducted a point for a low blow.

Now obviously that was deserved, because the low blow was vicious and altered the pattern of the fight according to the referee. But it’s important to remember that even with that, the judges scored it 3-2 to the Brazilian.

The rematch at UFC 263 was a completely different story though, and Moreno knew exactly what he needed to do.

He came in more aggressive than ever, was sharper on the feet and not afraid of the power that stood opposite him. He also knew that he had an advantage when it came to his gas tank and grappling and used it to full effect to secure a third-round rear-naked choke submission win.

There was a new champion, but also now the strange development of a third bout with the score being 1-0 in wins officially.

As we enter UFC 270 now, there are no more excuses for either fighter. We’ll call it 1-1 for the sake of the fact it’s likely to be a final decider between them and they’ve felt the strengths of the other.

Figueiredo looks to be in the best shape of his career, while Moreno knows exactly what he needs to do to beat him again. It’s the two best flyweight fighters in the world, going head-to-head in their prime for all the bragging rights.

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There is every chance that this will be the best of the trilogy, with an all-out war ready to explode. There is still respect between them, but the trash talk has been upped a little and both guys feel they have a point to prove over the other.

Be prepared for the greatest flyweight title fight of all time at UFC 270, between two guys at the absolute peak of their powers.

who will be a male ufc champion at the end of 2022?
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Who will be a male UFC champion at the end of 2022?

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The UFC returns to title fights this weekend at UFC 270 when the heavyweights and flyweight strap is on the line.

Both of those belts changed hands in 2021, as Francis Ngannou knocked out Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 and Brandon Moreno submitted Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 263.

We also saw a new bantamweight, lightweight and light heavyweight champion crowned during the year, so how will 2022 pan out? Lets take a look.

Flyweight (125lbs) – Askar Askarov

Flyweight is one of the better divisions in the UFC right now and I think we’ll once again see a new champion crowned at some point in 2022.

Askar Askarov has been undefeated throughout his career with a 14-0-1 record, with the only draw coming in his UFC debut against… Brandon Moreno. Askarov will get his title shot by the end of the year, and his wrestling is too good for anyone to be able to navigate past him so I think he holds the belt come 2023.

Bantamweight (135lbs) – Petr Yan

The only reason Yan isn’t the champion right now is because he got over excited and threw a knee to a downed Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259. He was winning the first fight quite comfortably at the time, so the fight was re-made for later in the year.

Sterling was forced to withdraw and it’s now set for UFC 273 in April, which means Yan will head into the summer as champ. He’ll likely defend the strap at the end of the year against TJ Dillashaw in a brilliant fight, but I think he edges that and takes a huge boost in credibility this year.

Featherweight (145lbs) – Max Holloway

What a division, and what a title fight that awaits us later this year.

Alexander Volkanovski defended the belt successfully in 2021 with a dominant win over Brian Ortega at UFC 266 and was set to fight Max Holloway at UFC 272 until the Hawaiian got injured and saw it get cancelled.

If Volk can see off the Korean Zombie at UFC 273 now in the new bout, he will face off against Holloway at some point in 2022 and I think ‘Blessed’ finally gets his win over the Aussie to reclaim the title.

Lightweight (155lbs) – Islam Makhachev

Arguably the most exciting division in the company right now when it comes to the title picture, I’m predicting yet another new champion at lightweight.

Charles Oliveira claimed the crown at UFC 262 when he beat Michael Chandler, then defended it successfully when he submitted Dustin Poirier at UFC 269. He’ll now fight Justin Gaethje at some point in 2022, and the winner will fight the winner of Beneil Dariush vs Islam Makhachev at UFC Vegas 49 in February.

I think Makhachev gets the victory there, then gets the victory in the title fight too to fulfil Khabib Nurmagomedov’s prophecy that he will become champion and rule over the division for a long time to come.

Kamaru Usman of Nigeria reacts after his victory over Gilbert Burns of Brazil in their UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 258 event...

Welterweight (170lbs) – Kamaru Usman

The best in the world right now pound-for-pound, and I don’t see that changing in 2022.

Usman went 3-0 in 2021 with wins over Gilbert Burns at UFC 258, Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261 and Colby Covington at UFC 268 and is now not expected to return to the cage until the summer.

That means one or two fights at most this year, with Leon Edwards certainly one of them, and I don’t see him losing to anyone so soon so I think he holds onto the belt yet again.

Middleweight (185lbs) – Israel Adesanya

The best middleweight in the world and one of the best of all-time, Israel Adesanya will be the 185-pound champion when we enter 2023.

His biggest test will come in February when he faces Robert Whittaker in a rematch at UFC 271, which I think he’ll win again. With that said though, a loss will almost certainly result in a rematch later in the year with their personal series set at 1-1 and he’d then reclaim the belt there.

Either way, ‘The Last Stylebender’ will be the champ when 2022 closes.

Light Heavyweight (205lbs) – Jiri Prochazka

This division isn’t particularly stacked at the top end but one thing it does have is a pathway for the title picture.

Glover Teixeira dethroned Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267 to finally claim the strap, but it feels short-lived because he’s due to take on the killing machine that is Jiri Prochazka next and that means he probably gets violently finished.

Aleksandar Rakic and Magomed Ankalaev are likely to find themselves in contention too by the end of the year, but stylistically none of them suit a fight with ‘Denisa’ and he holds the throne until 2023.

Jiri Prochazka of the Czech Republic poses on the scale during the UFC 267 official weigh-in at Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island on October 29, 2021 in...

Heavyweight (265lbs) – Ciryl Gane

The big boys are in the best shape they’ve been in, maybe ever, in the UFC right now and it’s created arguably an amazing year in the division in 2022.

Ciryl Gane will take on Francis Ngannou this weekend and a fight with Jon Jones seemingly awaits the winner. Stipe Miocic is likely to return at some point this year too and head for the title once again.

With Miocic back as well as Jones and Ngannou’s contract situations there are plenty of routes to the title this year, but ultimately they all end with ‘Bon Gamin’ as the heavyweight champion of the world heading into 2023.

who will be a female ufc champion at the end of 2022?
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Who will be a female UFC Champion at the end of 2022?

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The UFC will see it’s first two title fights of 2022 this weekend at UFC 270 and while the women won’t be involved, it’s a huge year for them too.

Last year we saw two of the four belts change hands, with Rose Namajunas claiming the strawweight belt for a second time with a head-kick KO win over Weili Zhang at UFC 261, while Julianna Pena shocked the world at UFC 269 when she submitted Amanda Nunes.

During our picks for 2021 we predicted no changes, so obviously only got a 50% hit rate. Can we do better for 2022?

Strawweight (115lbs) – Rose Namajunas

‘Thug’ Rose made waves in 2021, returning to champion status with a win over Zhang and then winning their rematch at UFC 268 a few months later too.

With two wins over Zhang and already holding two wins over Joana Jedrzejczyzk from her previous title reign, that’s the other elite talents in the division dealt with.

Carla Esparza, who beat Namajunas in the TUF finale to win the inaugral belt for this division, is confirmed as her next challenger and if she can navigate that fight as expected then she is set for a long and successful reign as champion.

I think that carries over into 2023 and she claims G.O.A.T status among the strawweights.

Rose Namajunas reacts against Zhang Weili in their strawweight title bout during the UFC 268 event at Madison Square Garden on November 06, 2021 in...

Flyweight (125lbs) – Valentina Shevchenko

The pound-for-pound best female fighter on the planet, Valentina Shevchenko first won the belt in 2018 and she hasn’t looked back since.

She went 2-0 in 2021 with stoppage wins over Jessica Andrade at UFC 261 before another KO win over Lauren Murphy at UFC 266 to continue her dominant run as the queen of 125lbs.

There’s nobody close to her level at her weight class, so barring a crazy shock she will hold that belt until she retires probably.

Bantamweight (135lbs) – Amanda Nunes

The greatest female fighter of all-time saw her 12-fight winning streak snapped at UFC 269 at the end of the year by Julianna Pena but the world is ready for a rematch.

While Pena will likely be taken far more seriously by the fans in the build-up to that bout, it also means that she will likely be taken more seriously by the ‘Lioness’ and that screams ‘and new!’.

Nunes gets her win back at some point in the summer, then sees out the year as the champion yet again. Normality is restored in the women’s MMA world.

Amanda Nunes of Brazil and Julianna Pena meet during their UFC bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 269 on December 11, 2021 in Las Vegas,...

Featherweight (145lbs) – Discontinued

A interesting one, but I can’t see how the featherweight division survives another calendar year.

Nunes has been the champion since knocking out Cris ‘Cyborg’ back in 2018 and has defended the belt successfully twice since then. But there are no contenders and the division barely exists.

Felicia Spencer was the obvious choice to challenge, but she had already lost to Nunes and has now retired from the sport. Kayla Harrison could come into the UFC for a mega fight, but the division would have the same problems and I think it gets shut down by the end of 2022.

ufc vegas 46 fallout: kattar shows levels, chookagian dilemma
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UFC Vegas 46 Fallout: Kattar shows the levels, Chookagian dilemma

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The UFC returned with a spectacular main event in a rather disappointing ten-fight card at UFC Vegas 46 as Calvin Kattar returned to the win column with a bang.

Kattar returned after a year out of the octagon to take on Giga Chikadze in a featherweight main event that had fireworks written all over it.

It delivered too, in a superb five-round war that had everything except a finish going for it to set the bar high for the fight of the night in 2022.

Chikadze started the fight exceedingly well, landing hard body kicks and sharp right hands, before he threw a kick and slipped which allowed Kattar to step in and grapple with him.

After that though, Kattar was completely dominant for the next four rounds. He applied a crazy high pace and pressure to shut the distance down, not allowing Chikadze to throw kicks.

He landed heavy strikes, which later turned to elbows to cause further damage while also mixing in takedowns to keep Chikadze honest.

The Georgian gave it everything, landing some huge shots of his own but Kattar once again showed his chin and managed to secure a huge unanimous decision victory.

The win keeps him in the top five of the division and with three of the five guys above him getting title shots recently, and the other being Yair Rodriguez who is coming off a loss, Kattar has a real chance of title contention this year.

A fight against either Rodriguez or Brian Ortega seems like the fight to make going forward, if we don’t see Ortega vs Rodriguez instead, and a win could catapult him into the title contender position.

A bit earlier on the card was a women’s flyweight contender fight between Katlyn Chookagian and Jennifer Maia, that produced a fun, back-and-forth bout between two top five 125-pounders.

Chookagian picked up the unanimous decision win, just as she did back at UFC 244 in their first fight, but following the event she revealed in the press conference that that was the final fight of her contract.

Speaking to the media, Chookagian claimed that she wanted to renegotiate her deal with the organisation before the Maia fight but they told her that they wanted her to fight out her current deal instead before they spoke.

With the win, she tied champion Valentina Shevchenko for the most wins in the division’s history (8) and will likely move into the number one spot in the rankings, above Jessica Andrade, setting her up for a rematch against ‘Bullet’.

But the UFC don’t seem convinced that is the route they want to go in, and with Chookagian out of contract it doesn’t make sense to renew her deal if they don’t intend on giving her a title shot when she’s clearly the top contender.

It’s a dilemma, because at that weight class she is among the best there is but she’s still some way off the champion and that makes her dispensable in the organisations eyes.

ufc vegas 46: kattar vs chikadze – results (highlights)